Before writing this, we had trouble once again starting a post with the word “innovation.” The term is teetering between the overused and the banal. Instead of more talk about innovation it’s time for all of us to simply become innovators.

A recent article in BusinessWeek calls for President Obama to appoint a Secretary of Innovation. The notion is extremely interesting, calling for this post to create an innovation mindset as well as leading a systematic national innovation process. But something about this idea doesn’t sit well with us. While the process of innovation can be applied to absolutely every and any challenge a person or organization faces, it’s nearly impossible to lay a process of innovation on top of a nation. Talk about too many cooks!

Rather, let’s encourage the cultivation of a nation of innovators, with everyone tapping into their power to become an expert brainstormer. Ideally this would start in schools, where far too often we’re taught that there is one answer. There’s always more than one answer. The good news is that it’s never too late to become an innovator. Don’t wait for the government. Don’t wait for your boss. The first step is to identify what you want to do better. All the answers are right in front of you, but first you need to make sure you’re asking the right questions…

The internet felt a ripple this week when the company synonymous with “The Internet” decided to shut down several new services and products. Google has announced it’s closing microblogging platform Jaiku, mobile location service Dodgeball, Google Catalog search, and Google Notebook.

The company is famous for its dedication to innovation, offering employees ample time to pursue products and interests of choice on the corporate dime. So it’s surprising to see all this happen at once, what some are calling a massacre. At the I Open Lab, it begs the question, when does Google decide to stop pursuing an idea. For that matter, when do any of us say, “hey this idea isn’t working out!”

Did you know that ATM’s were almost abandoned because people had too many concerns about them? Can you imagine banking without them now? So what do you do when you have an idea that gets mixed results? Do you abandon it? At the I Open Lab, one of the keys to brainstorming is taking an idea with promise and making it stronger by addressing concerns and challenges. When you have an idea you aren’t sure about, start by listing what concerns you, and then think about how to address those concerns. You’d be surprised how easy it is to make a good idea and GREAT idea.

Microsoft recently announced plans to open a chain of branded retail stores and unfortunately for the juggernaut, the news has been met with criticism and derision. It’s been called an Apple copycat and a bad fit given today’s retail and economic climate. PC World listed ten ways the chain could differ from Apple, but Microsoft probably won’t be taking any of their advice, which includes an “Excuse Bar,” assuming everyone is a thief, and undetermined store hours.

However, the Microsoft move, even if it’s mimicking Apple stores, is a huge opportunity for the brand. One of the keys to brainstorming is piggybacking…not jumping on your neighbors back, but adapting an idea or concept to your own purposes. If Microsoft can tap into its core brand heritage and apply that to the stores, perhaps they’re making a smarter move than we think. If Microsoft is more of a brand of the people, since it’s basically ubiquitous, perhaps they could provide a help desk that’s less high-falutin than Apple’s “Genius Bar.” Maybe it’s where people talk to people in simple, non-condescending ways. And let’s face it, if you haven’t had a frustrating experience at a “Genius Bar,” you probably don’t own a Mac.

It will be interesting to see if Microsoft can maximize this opportunity by creating an entirely new retail experience, just like Apple did, but in a branded way that’s unique and reconnects people to the brand. At the I Open Lab we already have some ideas for them that aren’t punchlines. What do you think they could do?

So you have something you’d like to do better…you want to change the way your company does business, you want to make more money, you want to perform better at your job, you want to become the richest person in the world, etc. You might be asking, where do I start?

It’s easy.  Start with a wish.  We’ve all made them, from our earliest birthdays to maybe just earlier today.  The key to making any breakthrough is to start with a wish.  Or more than one wish.  If there’s something you’d like to do better, start by writing down your wishes.  And keep writing…we ain’t no genies and there’s no wish limit here.

Stay tuned for more on what to do with these wishes.

One-hundred and fifty years ago Charles Darwin’s “On the Origin of Species” heralded a new understanding of the progression of life and while there’s still debate over his theories in some circles, overall this has become the prevailing school of thought.  What’s most striking is the state of science when this discovery was made and just how far we’ve come since then.  A year after Darwin’s breakthrough publication, science finally disproved “spontaneous generation,” the notion that life continually arose from nonliving things.

While laughable now, that we’ve come so far in 150 years, and that we continue to make leaps and bounds each decade and even each year,  begs the question, what’s next?  Is another Darwin around the corner ready to shake our believe system to the core? In 1899, Charles Duell, commissioner of the US patent office famously mistateed that “Everything that can be invented has been invented.”  If history provides any clues to the future, we’re in store for more innovations that we’ll know what to do with.  So what’s next?  Are you waiting for breakthroughs to happen or are you making them happen?

Today, on the steps of New York’s Morgan Library, Jeff Bezos, founder of Amazon, unveiled the Kindle 2.0. It’s an updated and upgraded e-reader, with interesting features such as wi-fi syncing, and a ridiculously long battery life. Naturally issues emerge with a product priced a bit high in this economy and in signing up for exclusively amazon.com provided content, but let’s face it, eventually books are dead. Or should I says “books.”

So unveiling this device on the steps of the library seemed a little callous. Like unveiling the latest Limewire software at a Virgin Record store (you know, before it was closed). So what is the future of the library? As an institution, the public library is part of American culture, and perhaps one that we’d like to hold on to for a while yet.

Assuming in 20 years we’ll all have some version of a Kindle, what’s the future of the library? What should we use these spaces for if not for reading books? If you could do anything at a library, what would it be? What are some things libraries maybe haven’t explored yet? Sooner or later they’re going to have to do more than collect 5 cents on a late fee, and maybe we can help come up with some breakthroughs!

In today’s NYT, an article talks about the impact of color on creativity.  Essentially the study, from the University of British Columbia, states that the color red can make people’s work more accurate and the color blue can make people more creative.  Are colors this powerful?  What about other colors like green, yellow, and…well, you know other colors.  I’d wager that given the right mindset you can be as creative in a red room as any other color room, but just to be safe, the I Open Lab might install a blue wall.

The Times proudly says they have bright tomato-soup red rooms and not a single blue one.  While journalistic accuracy is important, given the state of the industry, they might want to consider a blue room or two and think of some new ways of doing business!

See the full article here

So what are you trying to figure out?  Breakthroughs happen every day and sometimes it’s as simple as making a list of ideas, looking at something from a new perspective, or pushing yourself to finally take action.  We’ve all been there and this blog is here to help, engage, and inspire.

The I Open Lab is all about breakthroughs; for companies, entrepreneurs, and anyone in need of ideas.  The IOL blog focuses on everyday breakthroughs, looking at leading innovators, inspirational changes, and tools and techniques that can help push any project, personal or professional, forward.  Stay tuned for some free tips on how to make breakthroughs happen!